Mousetrap



S. IVI. KASS.

MOUSETRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1919.

l,382,425 PatentedJune 21., 1921.

UNITED .STATES PATENT .,oFFlcE. f

SAMUEL Mfimss, or PHILADELPHIA, :rENNs'YLvANIA Mousnrnhnb Beitknown'that I, AM'UEL.M'.`KAss, a

citizen of Russia, according to hisbest information, residing at 1828Market street, Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Mousetrap, of whichthe following is a specification.j

My invention relates to traps for mice and are killed in the trap.

The purpose lof 'my invention is to kill the mice without mutilation andprovide for. convenient disposal of the dead mice without requiring thatthey be handled. Y

A further urpose is to flood the mice with Water when t of killing them.

A further purpose isto use the weightof water provided y for killing themice as a means of causing quick and suremovement of comparatively lighttrap parts-l' A further purpose is tosupport awater container so that itwill be thrown by movement of the bait hook ofa trap and by reaf' rats,here for convenience called mice, which son of its fall to discharge theAwater 'into Further purposes will appear inthe specification and in theclaims.

I have preferredto illustrate one general form only, with slightmodification, selecting therefor a form which has proved t o beVpractical, eicient and thoroughly reliable and which at the Sametimewell illustrates the principles of my invention.

Figures 1 and 2 are a front elevation and section thereof, respectively,upon line 2 2, of a form embodying my invention, shown in set position.

Fig. 3 is a section corresponding to F1g. 2 but after the trap has beensprung.

Fig. 4 is a corresponding section of one of the parts showing modifiedguide members.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of one of the parts in which a ballvalve is used.

Figs. 6 and 7 are a side elevation and top plan View upon enlarged scaleof the valve seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 8 is a section corresponding with Fig. 2 of a further slightmodification, shown in set position. The scale here is reduced,

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

Describing the form shown My trap comprises a fixed supporting member 10having a bait arm 11 pivoted at some such point ey are caught, for thepurpose Specification of Letters Patent.; Patented -J11n`e21 1921;;V

1919. vseriaiivn. 314,54.

` as'12 to provide a catch113; :andl a water, i

holding movablemember 14, valved as'at 15 and adapted to rest upon thecatch 13 and to have the valve opened` asit falls by engage; mentwithsome projection 1 6 upon the fixed member.,

An opening 17 is provided inthe ffrontbf" the trap S0 as wpermtyaccessby the mice'.A tothe bait 1e.V

For convenience in setting and guidance,

the exterior surface of the movable member j 1s given the same generalcontour as the fixed member. In Figs. 1' and 2 this is done by providinga nearly circular skirt 19. for the movable member and in Fig."4, thesame function is performed by yusing guiding flanges 19.

So that the water 2O will flow' out speedily and freely througharelatively small valve opening, the compartment 21 for the water isfunnel-shaped and the lower end of the funnel is flanged at 22, in orderthat initially it may fitover the upper end of the projec- .y

tion 16, Vinsuring `that the parts as set are properly placed forsubsequent yengagement of the projection'with th'evalve when thecompartment falls. A handle23 is for convenience in liftingthe parts.

In the form shownuin igs. 144, the axis of the funnel is canted withrespect tothe shown L perpendicularwhen the trap set. As Athis may beconsidered to give an undesirable f slope of the ltop of the funnelwithrespect to the water'surface, I have shown in Fic. 8 a structure havingthe axis of the funnel 21 vertical in set position and always at anangle to the axis of the skirt 14. In this latter form also, I haveprovided a slight nearly horizontal seat 24 for the valve inside thefunnel slope.

The purpose of the variety in illustration is to indicate that changesmay be made in the various parts freely just so a form of valve seat orvalve is used in which the valve operates by weight and is opened byreason of movement of one of the parts. I have therefore shown thefunnel and fianged seats described and several different kinds ofvalves. A

In Figs. 2 and 3 the valve shown is of wafer type, comprising a body 25of fairly stiff material, having sufficient weight for the purpose,permissibly paste-board, and a thin waterproofing sealing cover 26 whichis pressed against the funnel edges by the weight of the water.

In Fig. 5 I shovvl a ball 27. for the purpose. In Fig. 8 I shoW a half27 of a hollow ball'serving the same 'Sealing function.-

In operation, the funnel is sufiiciently filled A with Water and thetrap `is set as in Fig. 2f

When the bait is moved the entire movable member falls to the positionseen invFig. 3,v

the valve is opened and the Water pours into the fixed member and drownsthe mouse, Without mutilating it.l Consequently, lthe movable membercanV be 'removed' and.l the fixed receptacle emptied VVto disposer ofthe mouse.v p It will be noted `that a floorory ,bottom 26 is providedupon the movable member which cuts ofi' the mouse fromthe, inletopening??V and limits the :space below thisv vproximately fill so as toinsure quick drowning of the` floor when theiiuid holder has fallen toap'- the space Which the fluid will mouse.

Having thus described my invention, what` I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent .is

Y is moved.

LA trap for mice, etc., comprising a fixed container, a movable fluidholder, a.l

catch supporting'the holder, a valve in the holder and means operativebyreason of the the holder for Vopening the valve falluof when `thecatch is moved and the. holder falls, l' Y' 2. A trap for mice,'etc'.,vcomprising a fixed container, a bait arm therefor, a movable fluidholden/a valvetherein and means engaged by the .valve with. movement ofthe holdervvhereby thefluid in the holder isre-y Y leased into ,thecontainer when. the bait arm 3, A trap for mice, etc., comprising afixed holder, a bait arm and catch thereoma fluid holding movable membersupported by the fixed container, a valve in theV movable member-and'means engaged by thevalve during Vthe fall oftheholder for openingthe. valveto release the fluid inthe movable member into the container....1.4. .,Ina trapfzfor mice,- etc., a fixed con- -suiiicient to vlrlthe container up to thelevel of the said Sbottoni' Wall.

.75.' In a traprfor mice, etc., 'ancontainerg' a fluid Vholder Supportedthereon and adapted to vfall, a valve linthe holder' kand means in thecontainer for releasingthe holder' and operating the valve, e 1A n 6. Ina trap for mice, etc., a ,container having yanentrance Vfor the mice, afluid holder supported therein and movabled'ovvn into the container Vtoclose'the entrance, aV

catch retaining the Aholder in -ra'i'sed position, bait-operated means"for releasing, the' catch, a valve inthebottomv ofthe; holden and aprojection from the container adapted to engage the valve and open itwhen the holder falls into the container.`

7 In a trap for mice, etc., a container, a

fluid holder supported inthe upper part of the container, a valveinftheholder, a` bait;

holder and means setin voperation Yby move-j ment ofV thev baitr holderfor o'peningjthe valve to pour the"y Water fromthe holderinto thecontainer. Y

V8.' VIATh processof -Vtrapping and 'l killing mice, 'which consists insupporting fluid vover a containerinto Vvwhich the micefare Vbaited anddropping the holder foi-'the *i fluid to close the 'entrance into thecontainer `and'restrict the space therein, at thev same time that thevfluidis released toffill Vthe restricted space of the container andSAMUELM. Kriss. v

drown the fmice.

